Edward
Edward *'Number': 2 *'Class': Furness Railway K2 *'Designer': Sharp, Stewart and Co. *'Builder': Sharp, Stewart and Co. *'Built': 1896 *'Configuration': 4-4-0 *'Arrived on Sodor': circa 1915 Edward is a blue FR K2 class mixed-traffic engine. He runs his own branch line with BoCo. Edward is one of the oldest engines on Sodor and is occasionally made fun of for his old age. Edward is very wise and optimistic and spreads his knowledge and encouraging attitude towards the other engines. Bio in the Railway Series Edward was built by Sharp Stewart and Company in Glasgow, Scotland in 1896 and worked on the Furness Railway before coming to Sodor in 1915 to finish the building of the North Western Railway. After his work was completed, Edward was kept in a shed, to the delight of the other engines, who claimed that he was too old and weak to work. Edward was eventually let out again and proved that what he lacked in strength, he made up for in work by pushing a stuborn Gordon and his heavy goods train up a hill. When Thomas the Tank Engine was fed up with fetching coaches for the big engines, Edward offered Thomas to take his trucks, however, Thomas, not having very little experience with trucks, was pushed down a hill and diverted into a siding. Edward would later help James double-head a passenger train when the splendid red engine was acting out. For some time afterwards, Edward was getting so old that his parts caused him to clank as he went along, which led to the bigger engines teasing him about his age. Gordon and Henry teased him about when a group of cows caused half of his cattle trucks to break away and derail, but later got their comeuppance when they encountered a cow named Bluebell on a bridge. Edward would later save an old traction engine named Trevor from scrap when he encouraged a Vicar to buy him. However, James would still talk down to Edward's age and how slow he is, but after he was left running down the mainline without a driver thanks to two naughty boys who played with his controls, Edward proved himself to be a hero when he brought the inspector and James' fireman to slow him down. James couldn't thank Edward enough for his heroic actions and the Fat Controller sent Edward to the works to have his worn parts mended as a reward. When Edward came back, everyone was very pleased to see him again. Edward currently runs the Wellsworth-Brendam branch line with BoCo, Bill and Ben and occasionally Donald and Douglas. He is sometimes used as a pilot engine for special trains as well, banking up trains on Gordon's Hill. Bio in the Television Series Edward has always been a kind and wise engine, though in some scenarios, he has acted a bit hostile to newcomers. For example, in Harvey to the Rescue, he claimed that Harvey "doesn't even look like an engine". In Thomas and the New Engine, he was one of the engines to spread rumours that Neville wanted to bump the steam engines. In Edward Strikes Out, he agreed with Gordon's element of doubt about Rocky and called him a "new-fangled nonsense". In Edward and the Mail, he did not want to embarrass himself in front of the other engines, so he tried to take the mail train without asking Percy, who was in need of repairs, for advice, in result of him delivering the mail to all the wrong places. Edward has also acted excitable in some episodes. In the twelfth season episode, Steady Eddie, he was given a task of taking the new water wheel to Great Waterton. He ignored the Fat Controller's advice to take the express track, and instead took all the bumpy tracks to show off, which almost resulted in the water wheel being scrapped. In Thomas and the Runaway Kite, he wanted to help Thomas chase after the Fat Controller's grandchildren's kite. Since then, Edward has tried to regain his usual self, which one day made Charlie think he was too old to have fun in Charlie and Eddie. Edward was upset about this so he tried to be as fun as Charlie, but this only caused even more trouble. Since then, he has just stuck to being the wise and kind engine that he was of old. In the eighteenth season, he was still being teased by Gordon, who thought he was unreliable for breaking down frequently, but Edward claimed that he had not broken down in ages. When Gordon later got stuck on his hill, Edward came to push him. But when they reached the top of the hill, Gordon just carried on without saying "thank you". Edward complained about Gordon's ungratefulness to Thomas, who came up with a plan. Thomas challenged Gordon to a race across the island, but just as Gordon was about to catch up, Thomas pulled onto the same track which meant Gordon had no choice but to follow him. At Gordon's Hill, the two engines were going so slowly that Gordon had no choice but to stop and got stuck again. As Thomas carried on his way, Edward arrived. This time, it was Edward's turn to call Gordon unreliable for always getting stuck on his own hill. Edward then began to carry on his way too, but Gordon begged him to help and promised to never called him unreliable again. So Edward forgave Gordon and gave him a push, and the big blue engine even said "thank you" once they had reached the top of the hill. In Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, he tells Thomas, who is being mended at the Steamworks, that Rocky had discovered a pirate ship in the cavern in which Thomas had fell into earlier (despite Thomas discovering it first). Salty later tells him, Henry, and James about a "lost pirate". Persona Edward is kindhearted and always keen to help a friend in need. The small engines trust him to lend a listening ear and sympathetic advice. He is a hard worker too, and always does his best to finish a job. If ever an engine misbehaves or acts out, it's Edward that the Fat Controller turns to in order to soothe things out. Sadly, the big engines often see Edward as old-fashioned and slow. While it is true he is the oldest engine on the North Western Railway - it must be noted he helped build it - he has proved time and time again that he is more than capable of working as hard as any engine, but he is a more clever and wiser engine, too. In fact, he and BoCo are the only engines who look after Bill and Ben, and know when to put them in their place should they misbehave, and like any other wise old engine, he stands for no nonsense from anyone, especially from the bigger engines. From The Great Festival Adventure to the fifteenth season however, Edward's persona changed slightly. Despite his reputation of being kind and friendly, Edward has acted cheeky. Edward also acted with a lack of confidence in himself in that he keeps secrets from the other engines and Sir Topham Hatt, when he was once leaking steam and likewise when he was told to pull the post train whilst Percy was being repaired. Sometimes, Edward even shared the same personality as James, such as when he decided to show off his special waterwheel and laughed at Thomas when he was wearing a funny funnel. However, since the seventeenth season, Edward has been portrayed with his original personality. Basis The Reverend W. Awdry stated that Edward is based on a heavily modified Sharp, Stewart and Co. "Larger Seagull" K2 Class, supplied to the Furness Railway in 1896. Sodor "historian" Martin Clutterbuck notes that Edward bears a close resemblance to an LNER D3/4 "Glen" (NBR Reid Class K) 4-4-0 from the London and North Eastern Railway. At any rate, the Reverend W. Awdry used an engine of this class to represent Edward on his model railway. Visible Crovan's Gate Works modifications are: making the rear splasher flush with the cab, new cab windows as opposed to cutaways in his cab side sheets, and square cab lookouts as opposed to the original round ones. Livery Edward is painted NWR blue with the NWR red and yellow lining and the number "2" painted on his tender sides in bright yellow with a red border. In the Railway Series, he carries two builder's plates on the sides of his cab. It can be assumed that, before arriving on Sodor, Edward was painted in the Furness Railway's Indian Red livery with the letters "FR" written in yellow on his tender sides and black wheels. Inspiration The inspiration for Edward himself came from the Reverend W. Awdry's watching trains on the Great Western Railway as a child. He said in an interview with Brian Sibley for The Thomas the Tank Engine Man that, to him, the noise of the locomotives' exhaust almost sounded like dialogue - for example, the larger engine having trouble climbing the hills would appear to be saying, "I can't do it, I can't do it" and the smaller engine helping them would sound like it was saying, "I will do it! I will do it! I will do it!" Later, Reverend Awdry told his son a bedtime story about an engine who was sad because he was never taken out of the shed for being old. Upon being asked what the engine's name was by his son, the Reverend Awdry picked the name Edward out of thin air. Appearances Voice Actors * Keith Wickham (UK; Hero of the Rails onwards) * William Hope (US; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Yasuhiro Takato (Japan; first - eighth seasons) * Nozomu Sasaki (Japan; Calling All Engines! onwards) * Øyvind Borgemoen Lyse (Norway; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Herman López (Latin America; Hero of the Rails onwards; except Tale of the Brave) * Christos Topulos (Germany) * Wojciech Chorąży (Poland; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Fabrice Trojani (France and French speaking Canada) * Petteri Hynönen (Finland; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Reinder van der Naalt (The Netherlands) * Celso Alves (Brazil; Hero of the Rails onwards) * Jordi Estupiña (Spain) * Anh Tuấn (Vietnam) * Alexander Kotov (Russia; thirteenth - sixteenth seasons) * Denis Bespalyy (Russia; King of the Railway - Last Train for Christmas) * Anton Savenkov (Russia; nineteenth season onwards) Trivia * Edward was the very first character created for the Railway Series, in 1943. * In Saved from Scrap, it was revealed that Edward's driver was named Charlie. * Edward is the only engine whose crew has been named in the Railway Series. In the foreword of "Edward the Blue Engine" their names were given as Charlie Sand (driver) and Sidney Hever (fireman). Their surnames came from their duties (one of the driver's jobs is to sand the rails when they are slippery to let the engine's wheels grip, while the fireman "heaves" coal to the firebox); their Christian names came from an engine crew from the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. * Two of Edward's models are currently on display; one at Drayton Manor along with his happy, clenched and tired face casts, and the other is in Japan at the Hara Railway Museum (previously on display at Nitrogen Studios). * Edward was not in any known draft of Thomas and the Magic Railroad. According to Phil Fehrle , there was not enough screen time and opportunity to utilise him in a way that added any real value to the film. * In Steady Eddie, Charlie and Eddie and Edward the Hero, Edward refers to himself as "Eddie". Charlie also refers to him by this name. "Eddie" also happens to be Edward's real name in the Greek narration and in Italy from the fifteenth season onwards; however, in the Engine Roll call he's referred as Edward. * In the television series, Edward went through numerous changes: ** Season 4: ** His whistle was at a lower pitch. ** Season 6: *** His safety valve disappeared. *** His eyebrows become smaller and longer and are raised up slightly. ** Season 8: *** His eyebrows become thinner. ** Season 9: *** His eyebrows are lowered and become even thinner. ** Season 10: *** The riveting on his front bufferbeam disappeared. *** His buffers were moved downward and widened in length. ** Season 12: *** The gap between his second and third red stripes on his boiler became larger. *** His pupils also became smaller. *** His eyebrows become thicker and change shape. ** Hero of the Rails: *** He slightly decreased in height. *** His buffers became bigger and moved towards the centre of his bufferbeam. ** Season 17: *** He gained a lamp and tail lamp. ** Season 18: *** His handrails were painted black. ** The Adventure Begins: *** His handrails were painted silver again. *** The inside of his tender became blue. *** His side-rods become silver. * The 2014 re-designs of TrackMaster and Take-n-Play Edward and an illustration the annual story Edward Cracks a Nut incorrectly depict him as a 2-6-0. Merchandise * ERTL (normal and Gold Rail; discontinued) * Wooden Railway (several versions) * Take Along (discontinued normal and metallic) * My First Thomas (normal and talking) * Motor Road and Rail (normal and talking; discontinued outside Asia) * TrackMaster * Hornby * Bachmann * My Thomas Story Library (discontinued) * Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued) * Mini Die Cast Collection (normal and with Santa hat; discontinued) * Departing Now (discontinued) * Thomas Town (discontinued) * Capsule Collection * Trading Cards * Tomica * Take-n-Play (normal and talking) * De Agostini (discontinued) * Brio (discontinued) * Pez * Mega Bloks (discontinued) * Diablock * Wind-up Trains (normal, shocked face, clear, and silver) * Pocket Fantasy (discontinued) * Collectible Railway * Departing Now * Boss (with Green Express Coach; discontinued) * Micro Rubber Engines * Push Along * Minis (Classic, Metallic, Robo, Chillin' , DC Super Friends, Sports and spooky) * Choro-Q * MV Sports (with Tidmouth Sheds; discontinued) Gallery File:TheReverend'sEdwardmodel.jpg|Awdry's model of Edward File:EdwardGordonandHenryillustration3RevWAwdry.jpg|Awdry's drawing of Edward and Gordon File:Edward'sDayOutWilliamMiddleton7.jpg|Edward illustrated by William Middleton File:EdwardandGordonRS8.PNG|Edward illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby File:SkarloeyRemembersRS1.jpg|Edward with Skarloey in the Railway Series File:ACloseShaveRS1.PNG|Edward with Duck as illustrated by John T. Kenney File:Edward'sExploitRS3.png|Edward as illustrated by Gunvor and Peter Edwards File:EdwardAndTheCabbagesRS4.png|Edward missing a wheel File:GoldenJubileeRS3.png|Edward as illustrated by Clive Spong File:EdwardandGordon5.png|Edward in the first season File:TheSadStoryOfHenry55.png File:SavedFromScrap1.png|Edward in the second season File:SavedfromScrap35.png|Edward's whistle File:TheDeputation23.png File:Percy'sPromise21.png|Edward at Elsbridge in the third season File:Edward,TrevorandtheParty23.PNG File:FourLittleEngines19.png|Edward in the fourth season File:PaintPotsandQueens42.png|Edward clearing the line for the Royal Train File:JamesandtheTroublewithTrees16.png|Edward in the fifth season File:HappyEverAfter35.png File:ScaredyEngines10.jpg|Edward in the sixth season File:It'sOnlySnow52.PNG File:Edward'sBrassBand18.png|Edward knocked down in the seventh season File:Edward'sBrassBand48.png File:EdwardtheGreat53.png|Edward in the eighth season File:EdwardtheGreat70.png|Edward at the summer house File:CallingAllEngines!108.png|Edward in Calling All Engines! File:CallingAllEngines!181.png|Edward the scarecrow File:SavingEdward28.png|Edward in the ninth season File:KeepingUpwithJames76.png File:EdwardStrikesOut70.png|Edward in the tenth season File:EdwardStrikesOut83.png File:EdwardandtheMail65.png|Edward in the eleventh season File:EdwardandtheMail75.png File:TheGreatDiscovery174.png|Edward in the Great Discovery File:SteadyEddie8.png|Edward with a CGI face File:JamesWorksItOut30.png File:HeroOfTheRails15.png|Edward in full CGI File:DoubleTrouble20.png|Edward in the thirteenth season File:SlippySodor105.png File:MistyIslandRescue425.png|Edward in Misty Island Rescue File:CharlieandEddie12.png|Edward in the fourteenth season File:JumpingJobiWood!13.png File:DayoftheDiesels152.png|Edward with Emily in Day of the Diesels File:EdwardTheHero6.png|Edward in the fifteenth season File:SurpriseSurprise21.png File:BlueMountainMystery374.png|Edward in Blue Mountain Mystery File:PercyandtheMonsterofBrendam26.png|Edward in the sixteenth season File:Salty'sSurprise12.png KingoftheRailway280.png|Edward in King of the Railway File:NoSnowforThomas4.png|Edward in the seventeenth season File:NoMoreMrNiceEngine19.png TaleOfTheBrave554.png|Edward in Tale of the Brave File:OldReliableEdward3.png|Edward in the eighteenth season File:OldReliableEdward110.png File:TheAdventureBegins236.png|Edward in the Adventure Begins File:TheAdventureBegins330.png File:TheTruthAboutToby23.png|Edward in the nineteenth season File:ACrankyChristmas22.png File:Sodor'sLegendoftheLostTreasure304.png|Edward in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure File:Who'sThatEngine?Edward6.png|Edward's whistle in CGI File:Who'sThatEngine?Edward9.png|Edward's number two File:Who'sThatEngine?Edward10.png File:Edward'sModelSpecification.PNG|Edward's model specifications File:Edwardwithnameboard.png|Edward with nameboard File:EdwardMrConductor'sThomasTales.png|Edward in Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales Opening File:Edward'sNamecardTracksideTunes.png|Edward's Trackside Tunes namecard from Rusty and the Boulder File:RareEdwardNameplate.jpg File:EdwardandtheOldCoaches.PNG|A promo shot of Edward File:EdwardandtheOldCoaches2.png File:EdwardwithJames'face.jpg|A rare promotional picture of Edward wearing James' face File:EdwardSeason2Promo.jpeg File:EdwardFront.jpeg|Head-on model promo File:Edward.jpg|Edward with his Driver File:FourLittleEngines68.png File:Edward,TrevorandtheReallyUsefulParty5.PNG|Note the grey engine front in the background which is actually from The Marklin Engine. File:ThomasandEdwardpromo.jpg|A promo of Edward and Thomas File:EdwardtotheRescue!9.png File:EdwardSeason13promo.jpg|Promotional CGI image of Edward File:EdwardCGIpromo.png File:EdwardCGIPromo2.png File:EdwardCGIpromo3.jpg File:EdwardandThomasCGIpromo.png|CGI promo of Edward with Thomas File:EdwardHeadOnCGIPromo.png|Head-on CGI promo File:EdwardKnapfordPromo.PNG File:EdwardatTidmouthShedsCGIpromo.png File:EdwardattheSteamworkspromo.png|Edward at the Sodor Steamworks File:EdwardatTidmouthShedspromo.png|Edward at Tidmouth Sheds File:EdwardatDaisyHalt.png|Edward at Daisy Halt File:TheGreatFestivalAdventure3.jpg|Edward in The Great Festival Adventure File:EdwardattheSeasidePostcard.JPG File:EdwardInteractiveLearningSegment.png|Edward in an interactive learning segment File:EdwardNitrogenStudios.png|Edward at Nitrogen Studios File:EdwardDraytonManor.jpg|Edward at Drayton Manor File:EdwardDraytonManor.png File:DraytonManor3.jpg|Edward with his clenched face. Note: His eyes are wonky File:EdwardDraytonManor2.png File:EdwardPullingtheMail.jpeg|Edward Pulling the Mail at Drayton Manor File:EdwardHaraRailwayModel.jpg|Edward's Model at Hara Model Railway Museum in Japan File:Edward&PercyModelsHaraRailway.jpg File:AnImportantVisitor6.png|Edward in a magazine story File:TheRunawaymagazinestory1.png File:TheReallyUsefulTractionEngine6.png|Edward in an annual story File:HenryandtheTunnel2.jpg File:Edward'sBasis.jpg|Edward's basis File:TheWorkshopsRailMuseumEdwardandJames.JPG|Edward and James at a Day Out with Thomas event File:DraytonManorEdward.jpg|Drayton Manor Edward in the sheds File:ThomasLandJapanEdward.jpeg|Edward in a shed at Thomas Land File:ThomasLandJapanEdward&Kevin.jpeg|Edward with Kevin Merchandise Gallery File:ERTLStickerFaceEdward.jpg|Original ERTL File:ERTLEdward.jpg|ERTL File:ERTLEdward&TheOldCoaches.jpg|ERTL with Old Coaches File:ERTLminatureEdwardstickerfacekeyring.JPG|ERTL Keyring File:ERTLGoldRailEdward.jpg|ERTL Gold Rail File:HornbyEdward.png|Hornby File:Hornby2016Edward.jpg|2016 Hornby File:BachmannEdward.jpg|Bachmann File:Take-AlongEdward.jpg|Take Along prototype File:Take-AlongEdward.png|Take Along File:Take-AlongEdwardmetallic.jpg|Metallic Take Along File:Take-n-PlayEdward.png|Take-n-Play 2010 Edward File:Take-n-PlayEdward2013.png|Take-n-Play 2013 Edward File:Take-n-PlayEdward2015.jpg|Take-n-Play 2015 Edward File:Take-n-PlayTalkingEdward.jpg|Take-n-Play 2010 Talking Edward File:Take-n-PlayTalkingEdward2014.png|Take-n-Play 2014 Talking Edward File:LimitedEditionCollectionEdward.JPG|Limited Edition Collection File:CollectibleRailwayEdward.jpg|Collectible Railway File:WoodenRailwayEdward1992prototype.jpg|1992 Wooden Railway prototype File:WoodenRailway1996Edward.jpg|1996 Wooden Railway File:WoodenRailway1999Edward.jpg|1999 Wooden Railway File:WoodenRailwayEdward.jpg|2002 Wooden Railway File:WoodenRailwayEdward2013.png|2013 Wooden Railway File:TalkingWoodenRailwaySeriesEdward.jpg|Talking Wooden Railway Series File:RollAndWhistleEdward.jpg|Wooden Railway Roll and Whistle File:BrioEdward.jpg|Brio File:TOMYEdward.jpg|Motor Road and Rail File:PlarailTalkingEdward.jpg|Motor Road and Rail Talking Edward File:TrackmasterEdward.jpg|TrackMaster File:2014TrackMasterEdward.png|2014 TrackMaster File:TrackMasterTalkingEdward.png|TrackMaster Talking Edward File:TOMYEdwardOriginal.jpg|TOMY (Original) File:TrackmasterRevolutionGlowInTheDarkEdward.jpg|Revolution Glow in the Dark Edward File:MegaBloksEdward.png|Mega Bloks File:MyFirstThomasEdward.jpg|My First Thomas model File:NakayoshiEdward.jpg|Nakayoshi File:DeAgostiniEdward.jpg|De Agostini File:ChoroQEdward.jpg|Choro-Q File:Wind-upEdward.jpg|Wind-up File:WindUpSuprisedEdward.jpg|Wind-up surprised File:Wind-upClearMetallicSurprisedEdward.jpg|Wind-up Clear Metallic surprised File:Wind-upPartyEdward.jpg|Wind-up Party File:WindUpSilverEdward.jpg|Wind-up Silver Edward File:WindUpShinyEdward.jpg|Wind-up Shiny Edward File:PezThomasandEdward.jpg|PEZ Thomas and Edward File:2012TomicaEdward.jpg|Tomica File:TomicaEdward.PNG|Original Tomica File:EdwardPocketFantasy.jpg|Pocket Fantasy File:BandaiTECEdward.jpg|Bandai TEC File:DepartingNowEdward.png|Departing Now File:DiablockEdward.jpg|Diablock File:Micro-RubberEdward.jpg|Micro Rubber File:PushAlongEdward.jpg|Push Along File:RailRumblerEdward.jpg|Rail Rumbler File:MinisClassicEdward.png|Minis (Classic) File:MinisMetallicEdward.jpg|Minis (Metallic) File:MinisRoboEdward.jpg|Minis (Robo) File:MinisChillin'Edward.jpg|Minis (Chillin') File:MinisSpookyEdward.png|Minis (Spooky) File:MinisDCSuperFriendsEdward.JPG|Minis (DC Super Friends; Black Adam) File:MinisSportsEdward.png|Minis (Sports) File:MyThomasStoryLibraryEdward.png|My Thomas Story Library book File:Edward2011StoryLibrarybook.jpg|2011 Story Library book File:MyThomasStoryLibaryEdwardJapaneseCover.jpg|Japanese Story Library Book File:EdwardTradingCard.png|Trading Card File:TheGreatDiscoveryEdwardcard.jpg See also * Category:Images of Edward ja:エドワード Category:Tender engines Category:Steam locomotives Category:North Western Railway Category:4-4-0 Category:Edward's Branch Line